Videos in worship
The videos below are a small sample of videos I've used in worship. Here are some other ideas to spark your creativity around using short-form videos in worship.
Make sure to check copyright laws for broadcasting before using others' videos. Usually, short videos used for educational purposes are covered. You can also search for royalty-free media on sites like the wikimedia commons and pixabay.com.
- Pre-record a message from a home-bound member and share it in worship.
- Play videos of Palm Sunday celebrations from around the world on Palm Sunday to remind people of their connection to the wider Body of Christ.
- Play one of the videos from the UCC about national offerings like Sew the Seed.
- Play a clip from a Ted Talk or Yale Divinity School lecture (tons available on YouTube!) to enrich a sermon.
- Record a skit about a social justice initiative your congregation is passionate about.
- Collect photos from church members around a theme (ex: Something that brings you joy) and play a slideshow of submitted images.
- Record (or ask for a recording of) someone who's unable to be at church in person and have them read a part of the scripture or liturgy.
- Play a pre-recorded video of a musician you know will be out of town.
Generosity Jeopardy
This video was created for the Church Council at Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque as a fun way to talk to about membership, money, and the importance of giving to the General Fund instead of specific ministries. It also reminded people that membership is about more than money! I used a green screen and a free make-your-own-jeopardy board website to create the background. The PDF transcript is included directly below.